Breathe Me
by MetempsychosisoftheSoul
Summary: She was a cracked mirror: broken, but still held together. She could fall to pieces at any moment, but Tori would always sweep her back onto her feet.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious**

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So that's it.

They're over.

Just like that, their three year relationship was over. Three years of fighting, loving, and being, gone.

Jade fought the tears as she drove away from Tori's house, but they continued to stream down her face. Her chest clenched as her heart fell apart inside of her.

She was alone.

She hated being alone. She was never good at it, had never been good at it. Before Beck…god she could barely remember how she was before Beck. She was a complete mess, lost in the whirlwind of her life that was so far from perfect. Then he had entered her life and picked up the pieces and taped her back together bit by bit, and she had been the closest to happy that she'd ever felt. Being with Beck helped her forget the travesties of her life.

Apparently tape isn't that strong after all.

She stopped at a stop light and vigorously wiped the tears from her face.

'_Pull yourself together,' _she thought. The last thing she needed was for her father to spot any sign of weakness from her when she arrived home. She just had to be strong for a little while longer, and then she could crawl into her dark sanctuary and cry herself to sleep.

She pulled into her driveway, and stepped out of her car. Grabbing her bag, she took one last deep breath, pulling the remaining strength that she had, and entered her house.

She cautiously closed the door, and made her way down the hallway.

'_Maybe he's not home.'_ She hoped he wasn't. Today had already been shitty enough; she didn't need him to make things any worse.

"Jade."

Fuck.

"Yes?"

"Come here please."

Jade took a deep breath, set her bag down by the stairs, and entered her father's office. He was sitting at his large mahogany desk with papers and files placed haphazardly around him. The bags under his eyes indicated just how exhausted he was.

"What can I do for you father?" Jade asked cautiously.

Her father looked up from the paper in his hand and studied her. "How was your day?"

"It was all right."

"Just all right?"

"Yes, sir." Her gaze dropped to the floor as he stood and moved around his desk. She held her breath as he stepped in front of her. She flinched when his hand moved to her face, but paused when he gently took her chin and lifted until her eyes met his again.

"You've been crying."

Her eyes turned stony, and she half-glared at him.

"Yes sir."

"Why." It wasn't a question.

"No reason." Jade swallowed, hoping that he would just let it go. She didn't know how much longer she could stand there without breaking down. Her heart lay lifelessly at the bottom of her chest, and all she wanted to do was escape from the world and forget everything.

Jade's father arched an eyebrow at her, but dropped her chin.

"Very well," he said, ignoring her obvious lie. Jade let the breath she had unknowingly been holding go.

"Go check on your mother and make sure she has taken her medicine." And with that, her father sat back down at his desk and went back to his work.

"Yes sir." Jade left the room, a sense of relief coursing through her body. Maybe someone out there was giving her a break, finally.

She went down the hall to the living room where she knew her mother would be sprawled out on the couch. As she entered, she saw the half empty vodka bottle and sighed.

'_Nothing new here_.' Her mom was passed out on the couch, one arm slung over her eyes as if she was blocking out the world. Jade envied her.

"Mom." Jade moved her mother's arm back down to her side, and shook her gently by the shoulders. Nothing.

"Mom, you need to wake up." The woman made an indistinguishable noise and pushed at Jade's hands. She rolled onto her side facing away from Jade. Jade sighed.

"Come on, mom. You need to take your medicine. Please wake up, or dad's going to have a fit." The woman finally began to respond. Jade made her way to a side table, opened the drawer, and took out the small orange container. Taking two pills out, she walked back to her mother, who was slowly coming to. She sat up, but her head sagged into her hands.

"What time is it?" she rasped out.

"Almost nine. Here, take these." Jade handed her mother the pills, who promptly tossed them back. She picked up a glass that was sitting on the coffee table, and drank some of the clear liquid residing in it. Jade was pretty sure it wasn't water.

"Thanks. How was your day sweetheart?" she asked as she looked up at the TV that Jade hadn't even realized was on.

"Fine."

"Good…that's good." Her glazed eyes never left the screen.

Jade rolled her eyes and walked into the adjoining kitchen. She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. Walking to her room, the basement, she passed by the living room one last time and stuck her head in.

"I'm going to bed. Good night."

Her mother didn't even look away from the screen.

Jade glared at her mother one last time before leaving and heading to her room. Walking down the stairs that led to her sanctuary, the realization of exactly what had occurred today made her stomach drop. Her mouth turned sour and she rushed down the rest of the stairs to her bathroom. Flipping up the cover, she emptied the contents of her stomach, staining the white porcelain. It didn't stop until her stomach was empty and she was dry-heaving. When it finally stopped, she flushed the toilet, wiped her mouth with toilet paper, and fell backwards against the wall.

Then she was crying. She bent her knees and grabbed her head between her hands. Thumping her back against the wall, she released everything. Her heart burned in her chest and her body ached. Tears streamed down her face, smearing her make up, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore, and it was all his fault.

Another wave of pain washed over her, and she thrust her head backwards against the wall. A different pain resonated through her, and she reveled in it. Glassy eyes opened and stared at the ceiling as thoughts rushed through her mind.

He didn't open the door. He didn't fight for her. He didn't choose her. He had abandoned her. Just like everyone else. Three years ago, he had stepped out of the crowd and swept her away from her hell, and she had stupidly let him in. She had given him everything, poured herself into him, and he had collected her in his arms and loved her for who she was. But now…now he had dropped her. He had turned around and walked right back into the crowd. He walked away from her, and there was nothing she could do but watch him disappear and leave her to that hell. This hell.

Her hell.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The tears continued their path down her face, but she no longer heaved. It was okay. Everything was okay. She had done it before, and she could do it again. She was not weak. She refused to be weak. If he didn't want her, then so what. If he didn't want to open that door and fight to be with her, then he was never worth it in the first place.

'_Don't let him win. Don't let them win."_

She'd been through hell and back, and she could do it again, would do it again because that was her life.

She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes even though they continued to fall. Taking another deep breath, she shoved all the pain down, placing it in the deep crevices of her mind. She would forget about this, she would forget the pain, push it away. She was alone, but she was confident. Looking in the mirror, she glared at her reflection. She inspected the person who stood there, looking for potential cracks.

Beck was nothing. Beck is nothing. She repeated it to herself silently, claiming her new mantra until the green eyes stared back at her with no sign of pain, no sign of grief, no sign of anything, and she realized her mantra had changed.

She was nothing.

The last piece of tape holding her together crumbled into dust.

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**Hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. Here's chapter 2. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious.  
**

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Jade sat in her car and stared at Hollywood Arts, gripping her steering wheel. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears as she slowly willed herself under control. She didn't realize how difficult it would be to go to school, and she regretted even getting out of bed. She should never have come, but it was too late. She was already there, and she wasn't going to back out now.

'_He made his decision, and you don't care. You are better than all of this. You don't need him. You don't need anyone._'

She took a deep breath and released her death grip. She stepped out of her car, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed into the building. Head held high, she ignored the whispers and stares that assaulted her. She knew the news that the hottest couple at Hollywood Arts had separated would spread like wildfire. Her fellow students had never been subtle in their gossiping.

Walking to her locker, she let the whispers and glances bounce off of her like she was putty. They didn't matter, no one mattered. Their thoughts and opinions were of no concern to her. She could care less what they thought. One day she would be a famous actress, and they would all be nothing but dust blowing in the wind.

She opened her locker, found the books she need for her classes, and quickly sped to her first one. None of her friends were in her first few classes, luckily. She spent her time being studious, and ignored the continuous flow of whispers and glances around her. The pain that she had been feeling since the night before was like a dull hum in the back of her mind, and focusing on her classes helped quell it even more. She let her mind be consumed with her work because she knew this reprieve wouldn't last long.

She was heading to her locker before lunch when she saw him for the first time. He was at his locker across the hallway, pulling out the books she knew he needed for his last few classes. The subtle hum turned into a full blown train whistle and her chest constricted involuntarily. A rushing sound filled her ears and she went numb. She stood frozen, unable to move from the sudden wave of pain and nausea that swept over her.

Coming to school was definitely a bad idea.

Beck shut his locker and turned. Seeing Jade, he froze as well. They stood there in the middle of the hallway, staring at each other. The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife, and didn't go unnoticed by the students around them. Beck took a step towards her and opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't. No words came, and he closed his mouth looking guiltily at the ground. He eyed the people around them, scratched the back of his neck nervously, and quickly walked passed Jade without even a second glance.

Jade stood as still as a statue. Had that really just happened? He had been right there, and now he was gone. Again. He hadn't even said anything, hadn't asked her how she was or even said hello. He had just left without a word.

Well fuck him then.

Anger forced its way into Jade's system. Her skin itched and she had the sudden desire to break something, hurt someone. She glared at the students that still had the audacity to gawk at her, and they quickly scurried away. Turning, she stormed her way into the nearest girls' bathroom. She needed to get away from everyone, everything. Throwing her bag onto the floor, she began to pace back and forth, her hands clenching and unclenching sporadically. Her skin was crawling, her adrenaline pumping, and suddenly she had the urge to do something she hadn't done in nearly three years.

She stopped in front of the sink, placed her hands under the faucet, and splashed some water onto her face. She gazed at herself in the mirror, gripping the sink tightly. Looking into the green eyes that had a sudden crazed expression, she realized that she wanted it, needed it. She needed to forget, to be calm.

She whipped out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, searching for the one number that she had never deleted. Finding it, she quickly hit call and waited.

"Hello?" The voice was muffled, but Jade could still recognize it.

"Tye? It's Jade." There was a pause.

"Jade? As in Jade West?" The voice was thick with disbelief.

"Yea, it's me."

"Well I'll be damned." There was a sound of shuffling, and then the voice became clearer.

"Where the fuck have you been? It's been-"

"Years, yea I know. I'm fine. I had a question for you."

"Yea sure, what's up?"

"Do you still deal?"

Tye chuckled. "Of course I do. Why, you interested?"

Jade closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Was she really going to do this again? Was it really worth it?

Opening her eyes she studied herself in the grimy high school bathroom mirror.

Yea, it was definitely worth it.

"Yea. What's your best deal."

They exchanged information and Jade told Tye that she would meet him after school at their usual spot.

"I have to say Jade, I thought we had lost you. The guys are going to be so glad to hear that you're back," Tye said.

Jade grimaced involuntarily. "I'm not back. I just…need a break from real life."

"Sure, sure." Jade could hear the smirk in his tone. "Well I'll meet you when you get out of school. Do you want anything else?"

"No, I'm good thanks."  
"Awesome. See you then. It was good to hear from you."

Jade closed her phone without responding. A sudden sense of calm resonated through her. It was done. Soon she could forget the world around her and push away all these depressing feelings. All she had to do was get through the rest of the day.

Well, maybe she'd skip Sikowitz's class.

* * *

Tori was worried. Not only was Jade absent from Sikowitz's class, but she also hadn't texted Cat since before hell broke loose yesterday. Cat said that Jade always texted her back.

Tori had seen her throughout the day, but didn't know what to say to her. What do you say to someone whose heart was just broken? Besides, Jade hated her, so she was pretty sure she would have just made things worse.

But it didn't stop her from being worried. She could tell Cat was worried too. She had been fidgety all day, checking her phone constantly. She had tried to find Jade throughout the day; however, the raven haired girl was like a shadow. Tori knew that if Jade didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be found.

Cat nervously checked her phone for what had to be the fiftieth time and class had just started.

"Cat, you need to calm down. She's fine." Even Tori knew she didn't sound very convincing, but she had to try. The red head would always work herself up and that was the last thing Tori needed.

"I don't know Tori." Cat's eyes were wide and glassy. She looked absolutely frightened.

Tori studied her for a second. "Look, let's just get through this class and then we'll go figure out something to do, okay? Just try and calm down."

Cat nodded her head, but continued to check her phone throughout the period.

It seemed like hours, but finally the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Tori and Cat jumped up and quickly headed to their lockers. Andre, Beck, and Robbie followed them, Beck dragging his feet a little. Things were awkward because of the obvious missing member, but no one mentioned anything, not knowing what was or wasn't appropriate.

They made small talk for a while, but Tori could tell that Cat was anxious to leave. Finally, she said that they had to go work on a project and said goodbye to her friends. Cat didn't say anything. She was too busy checking her phone again.

She didn't say a word until they entered Tori's room. Tori sat down on the bed, but Cat began pacing, wringing her hands and biting her lip. It was obvious that something was bothering her.

"Cat." Tori's eyes followed the red head's path.

"Cat." No response.

"Cat!" The red head stopped, and turned towards Tori. Tori stood from her spot and gripped the shorter girl's shoulders.

"Cat I need you to talk to me. What's wrong? Why are you so worried?"

Cat looked up at Tori with wide glassy eyes. "I'm worried about Jade."

Tori sighed and bit back the urge to roll her eyes. "I know that. But why? I know she and Beck broke up, but there's no reason to have a complete break down over it. I'm sure she's fine."

Cat made an exasperated sound and threw her hands up in the air in frustration. She resumed her pacing.

"Why does everyone say that? Robbie and Andre said the same thing!"

Tori sat back down. "That's because it's probably true. She's Jade. Andre and Robbie are her friends too, so I'm sure they know what they're saying."

Cat stopped pacing and glared at Tori. Tori looked wary. Never had she ever seen Cat like this before.

"They may be her friends, but I've known her longer! I knew her before she and Beck ever happened, and it was not okay. She was not okay!" She began pacing back and forth, throwing her arms about as she spoke.

"She puts up this front of being strong, but she isn't. And I'm so worried that something's happened to her. I'm so worried that she's going to do something. She isn't as strong as everyone thinks, and now she's not texting me back-"

"Cat!" Tori cut her rambling off. It was becoming indecipherable.

The red head stopped and stared at Tori. The intensity of her gaze startled Tori into silence.

"We have to go check on her."

Tori sighed. "Cat, I'm sure she just wants to be alone right now. She was just broken up with. Besides, if she wanted company, I'm sure you would be the first one that she texts."

Cat gave a defeated sigh and sat down next to Tori. Tori put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her friend into a hug.

"Everything will be okay. Jade will be okay, okay? When she needs us, or you rather, she'll text you."

"But you don't know how she used to be," Cat whispered into Tori's shoulder.

Tori pulled back and looked at Cat. "What do you mean?"

Cat looked down at her hands in her lap, twisting her fingers around themselves. "I'm not supposed to say anything."

Tori couldn't hold back her eye roll. Her friend was ridiculous sometimes. She had made such a big deal about it, so why suddenly clam up now?

"Cat, you can tell me. I promise not to tell anyone. Plus, maybe it would help me figure out what to do about everything. We could find a way to be there for her."

Cat bit her lip and looked nervously up at Tori.

"I really can't tell you." She stood and picked her bag up that was next to the door. She turned towards Tori one last time.

"I can't tell you because I shouldn't be the one who tells you. It's not my place." Tori looked at her friend bewildered.

"I have to go. I'll see you later Tori. I'll get my brother to come pick me up." And with that, she was gone.

Tori sat there exasperated. What the hell had just happened? Cat had gone from completely flustered and panicked, to nervous and quiet. Sometimes, the mood swings of her friend were too much for her to handle.

However, the red head had instilled a new kind of worry in her about their dark friend. What had Jade done that still had Cat panicked today? What was she like before Beck?

She lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She always knew there was more to Jade then the bitter attitude and snarky remarks. But it couldn't have been that bad, right?

Right?

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**Hope you liked it. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, here's another chapter. I changed the rating to M because of some of the situations that are going to happen. Hope you enjoy it!**

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Jade exhaled, letting the acrid smoke out of her lungs. She settled further down into her seat, laid her head back, and sighed. God, she had missed this feeling.

She stared out into her back yard. Her room was a basement, but her house was placed on a hill, so it opened to the outside. She loved it because she was able to sneak out without her parents knowing. Her parents had never stepped foot in the back, so she knew she wouldn't get caught. It was her spot, and hers alone.

She took another drag from the joint between her fingers, escaping into the confines of her mind. She reveled in the drug-induced haze and closed her eyes. Her pain manifested behind her eyes, but she didn't feel it. She only saw it. Beck was engraved on the back of her eyelids but he no longer had a hold over her mind. The rushing sound in her ears drowned out the sorrow, and she exhaled her pain. The release of her sorrow, her hatred, her self-loathing was therapeutic.

Tye had said that this had been a good batch, and it definitely was. He had been excited to see her again after three years. He had tried to get her to stay and smoke a blunt with him so they could catch up, but she had refused. She was wary of him. He had always been a good friend in the past, but dealers are dealers, and there's always a dark side to them. She didn't trust him enough, even though they had pretty much been partners in crime three years ago.

Jade shook her head and sat up straighter. She didn't want to think about that, didn't need to remind herself of who she used to be.

She took one last large drag from the joint, then stomped it into the ground. She swayed a bit as she stood, but managed to find her way back into her room. She went to her bag and took her phone out, then collapsed onto her bed. She went through the texts that Cat had left her. She frowned. She could tell that Cat was worried, so she shot her a quick text saying that she was okay and just wanted to be alone.

Jade had a special spot for the red head. They had known each other for a long time because they had had the same vocal coach before Hollywood Arts. Jade would even go so far as to say that Cat was her best friend, but she had stopped hanging out with her as much when Beck came into the picture. She regretted that if anything. Cat had been nothing but helpful and was probably one of the few people that actually new Jade. Beck was the other, but she hadn't told him everything, fearing she would scare him away. Clearly, it was a good choice since the boy couldn't even walk through a door for her.

Jade felt the familiar tug at her heart and anger flooded through her.

Fucking shit. Why did he do this? They were so happy. Sure they fought, but that's what couples do, right? They fight, but they make up. They mess up, but the other person accepts it and moves on. They were supposed to grow from these situations, not give up. Not throw everything away.

But he had. He didn't walk through that door. He didn't talk to her the next day. He didn't call her. He didn't text her. He didn't do anything but turn his back on her. Just like everyone else.

Maybe it was her fault. This seemed to happen to her a lot, being forgotten. Her mother certainly had, and her father didn't give two shits about anything but his image. She was just an inconvenience to both of them. So maybe there was something wrong with her. Maybe she was the flawed one.

Maybe it was her fault. She had been too pushy, too mean. She hadn't trusted him enough. He had put up with her for three years and now he was tired of it because their friends didn't want to hang out with them anymore. He had realized that she wasn't worth it anymore. The one person that she had given everything to had realized that she wasn't worth it. She was nothing.

The thoughts raced through her head too quickly for her fogged brain to comprehend. She was filled with self-hatred. She wanted to punch something, wanted to break something, wanted to hurt something.

She jumped when the sound of a door slamming startled her. She heard loud footsteps and then a banging on the door to her basement.

"Jade! Get up here now!"

Her father was home, and he was clearly upset. This was never good, but she probably deserved whatever was about to happen.

She slowly walked up the stairs, the haze making it difficult to focus. She opened the door and entered the hallway. Her father was standing at the entrance of the living room, arms crossed, spine rigid. He glared down at her as she made her way towards him.

"I received a call from your school today. They said that you didn't show up to one of your classes."

Fuck, she had forgotten that they did that. God how could she be so stupid?

Jade stayed silent, her eyes glued to the floor.

"Did you skip class?"

Jade swallowed nervously. "Yes sir."

Her father made a disapproving noise in the back of his throat and took a step towards her. He grabbed the front of her shirt and jerked her towards him. Jade stumbled, but managed to stay on her feet. She looked up at her father, struggling to focus. He glared into her eyes.

"Now what's the point of me paying for you to go to that stupid school for hippies and faggots if you're not going to even show up."

Jade flinched. "I'm sorry sir."

She heard the smack rather than felt it. She was suddenly thankful that she was blazed out of her mind. At least she would probably just pass out after this.

"You're sorry?" He shoved her into the wall, her head smashing against it. She slid to the floor. Okay, she had definitely felt that, and fuck it hurt.

Jade's father rolled up his sleeves and picked her up again.

"I go out of my fucking way to make sure that you and your mother have a roof over your head!"

He punched her in the jaw, letting her go along the way. Jade fell to her hands and knees, and tasted blood.

"I pay for your education and your stupid vocal coaches! I pay for you to be alive!" He kicked her in the stomach. Jade fell over and curled into a ball.

"You are a fucking, inconsiderate bitch!" Jade tucked her head into her knees and gripped the back of her head attempting to protect it from her father's fists.

He continued to pummel her, cursing at her and her worthless life. The sad part was that Jade didn't even disagree with what he was saying. She felt worthless. She felt nothing.

She was nothing.

Finally, Jade's father grew tired and backed away from her. Jade didn't move.

"If you fuck up again I'll send you to military school." With that final threat, her father turned, walked into his office, and slammed the door shut.

Jade laid there for a second, breathing deeply, then slowly uncurled herself, her back straining and muscles aching. She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. The fog was slowly slipping away. She was sobering up and she hated it.

Her whole body was throbbing, but she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled down the stairs to her room. She dragged herself to the bathroom, closed the door, and locked it. She leaned against the counter and looked into the mirror.

Dull green eyes gazed back. Blood was running down her chin from her split lip, but she didn't try to stop it.

This was who she was. This was who she had always been. She was used to this, she deserved this. This was her punishment.

Her father had always been a cold person. Jade had always wondered how someone like her mother, who used to be so full of life and happiness, could end up with a dick like him. She remembered her mother used to sing and dance with her through the house when her father was away at work, but when he returned, the smiles were gone and the house seemed to darken.

But no matter how bad things were, her mother was always there afterwards. She would sneak Jade a piece of candy before bed, making promises to take her to the park the next day or the fair. Her mother loved her, and at the time, that was all Jade needed. It didn't matter that her father beat them.

Then her mother lost the baby. Jade was eleven when it happened. She had been so excited to have a little brother to teach things to and play with. Even her father had been happier at the prospect of having a son. He had always wanted one. He was a firm believer that men were superior to women. But then her mother woke up screaming in pain one night, blood soaking into the bed. The paramedics took her to the hospital, but when Jade and her father arrived behind them, the doctor had said it was too late. The baby was dead.

Her mother had never recovered mentally, and Jade was left to deal with her father. Her father, who feared what would become of his image if people found out about his mentally unstable wife, kept her in a drug-induced haze from then on. The beautiful, loving woman never returned.

That was when Jade stopped relying on people. If her own mother could forget about her so easily, clearly Jade wasn't worth the time. She began to pull into herself and she lost all of her friends. Cat was one of the few people that stuck around, but that was mostly because she was shunned as well due to her weird antics.

Jade started smoking and drinking when she turned thirteen and it was then when she met Tye.

The blood flowing from her chin began to drip into the sink, so Jade flipped on the faucet and began to wipe it away. She grabbed a washcloth from beneath the sink, soaked a corner in water, and dabbed her lip. She hissed as it came in contact, but she accepted the pain. She deserved it.

When the bleeding finally stopped, Jade tossed the towel into the hamper and climbed into bed without taking her clothes off. It was barely even eight o'clock, but she was exhausted. Her body ached, her head was pounding, and her lip was throbbing. And now, she definitely had to go to school tomorrow. She couldn't skip again because clearly, her father would find out.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Tori walked into Hollywood Arts with a purpose. She was determined to talk to Jade for Cat, and for herself because she would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. Cat had called her panicked when she had received Jade's text message the previous night. Tori was glad that the raven haired girl had finally been in contact with someone, but Cat was anything but relieved. She had rambled on and on, hinting again at the reasons as to why she was so worked up about Jade, but never stating anything. It had frustrated Tori to no end as she again tried to get Cat to spill any details that could possibly help her understand.

"How do you expect me to help if you won't even tell me what's wrong, Cat?"

Cat had paused, and Tori heard sniffling on the other end. "Jade used to sneak over to my house in the middle of the night sometimes when we were in middle school. She made me promise not to tell anyone. Sometimes she would be hurt and I tried to help her, but she always refused. She said that it was okay and that she deserved it, that she had been bad."

Tori started at the information that Cat was finally giving her. Things began to make a little more sense, and Jade became a little clearer in her mind's eye.

Cat had started crying, and stated that she couldn't say anymore. She didn't want to break Jade's trust, but Tori told her it was okay. She was beginning to understand the extent of the situation, and it scared her.

Tori prized herself in her ability to read people, and the moment she had met Jade, she knew there was more to her than just dark colors and sarcastic remarks. It was half the reason why she let Jade get away with all the snide comments the raven haired girl shot her way. When she had first met the girl, she knew that her life wasn't full of rainbows and sunshine. Jade was hiding something, and from what Cat had told her, it wasn't anything good.

Tori went to her locker and quickly exchanged her books. Then she turned and leant against it, eyes glued to the school door. She wasn't going to let Jade slip by her.

When Jade finally walked through the doors, ten minutes before the bell was supposed to ring, Tori eyed her cautiously. The raven haired girl's head was held high, shoulders pulled back in her usual confident demeanor. She headed to her locker, ignoring the students around her. Tori watched as she exchanged her books. She shut her locker and turned to walk down the hall to her class, and it was then that Tori decided to step forward and intervene.

"Hey!" Tori said, quickly stepping into Jade's line of sight. Jade started for a moment, but then glared when she recognized the brunette in front of her.

"What."

Tori inspected Jade. She seemed like the same old scary teen that she was known to be.

"What do you want, Vega. I need to get to class." Jade tapped her foot irritated.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

Jade rolled her eyes.

"Yep. I'm just dandy." She stepped passed the brunette, but Tori stepped in front of her again.

"I need to get to class, Vega."

Tori was met with a harsher glare than before, but wasn't deterred.

"Look, I just wanted to talk to you. Cat's really worried about you, and frankly, so am I. You haven't talked to anyone since…everything, and that's not okay. We're your friends, we can help you."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You are not my friend."

"Well, Cat is."

Jade couldn't argue with that. "True, but I told her I was fine. I texted her yesterday."

Tori gave her a pointed look, and Jade glared.

"Beck broke up with me. It's not a big deal. People break up all the time. There's no reason for everyone to get all worked up about it."

"Then why haven't you been hanging out with us."

"Jesus, it's been like two days."

"You just said it wasn't a big deal."

Jade growled. Tori crossed her arms.

"Why do you even care, Vega. We aren't friends."

"Well, you may not think we're friends, but I do. I care about you, and when my friends go through hard times, I always try to be there for them." Tori's eyes bore into Jade's with defiance.

Jade snorted. "Well aren't you just the perfect little angel then, coming to everyone's rescue. Sorry to let you down, princess, but I don't need your help. I don't need saving."

She stormed passed Tori, but Tori wasn't going to let her go that easily. She turned, grabbed Jade's arm, and spun her so she faced her once again. Jade let out a surprised shout as pain shot through her shoulder and down her back. Tori frowned.

"Are you okay?"

Jade grimaced. "Yes, I'm fine. Please let me go so I can go to class."

Tori's grip didn't loosen. She stared up at the taller girl, who was looking everywhere but at her.

"Are you hurt?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm hurt. I was just broken up with. Thanks for pointing that out."

"No." Tori paused. "I meant, are you physically hurt." Tori watched as Jade's eyes widened for a brief moment in what she could only identify as fear.

"What? No, of course not. Why would I be hurt?" Jade yanked her arm out of Tori's grip, and crossed her arms. She bit her lip nervously, and it was then that Tori noticed the puffiness of it. Her heart sank. She could now clearly see the swollen lip that Jade had hidden pretty well with makeup.

"Jade," she whispered. She took a step towards the dark haired girl, and looked into her eyes, pouring everything she could into this one gaze. Jade tensed. "Let me help you."

The soft tone of voice made Jade bite back any bitter remark that she was about to throw at the brunette. She looked at Tori with wide eyes, seeing her for the first time. No one had ever said that to her, not even Cat. The red head had never known what to say in any of the situations. But here was Tori, the girl who had everything, looking at her with hopeful, sad eyes, wanting to help her, the girl who treated her like shit. For a brief moment, her walls came down and Jade felt completely exposed. Tori wasn't look at her, she was looking into her, and it scared the shit out of her.

The bell rang loudly, startling them both.

Jade immediately looked away from Tori, the moment broken. Her walls crashed back into place and she said firmly, "I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't need help. Just leave me the hell alone." She turned and left, this time getting away without any interruptions.

Tori stood there, not aware of the students rushing by her to get to class. It had only been for a moment, but she had seen it. Jade's walls had come down and Tori had seen the pain and sadness that resided there. Every fear that Cat had instilled in her had been validated. Jade was hurt, physically and emotionally, and someone was causing it.

It was then that Tori decided she was going to be there for the raven haired girl, no matter what.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. Please review!**


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